Experiment in water intrusion (Activity Report)

THE CORNER COLUMN keeps getting soaked from the inside, upon rainfall, as does the portico slab beneath it. Somehow. And even after we have eliminated several suspected pathways for water intrusion. 

Rainwater is causing discoloration, bubbling, and cracking of the paint—
only on this column, and only on one side.
Where is it coming from?

Last week, the general contractor Yosi Arbib speculated about a possibility that I had not previously considered: whenever rain soaks the planter that is next to the base of the column, moisture is being drawn, via wicking, both up into the column, and down below the column. 

Yosi’s hypothesis

It seemed to me that Yosi’s hypothesis would be fairly easy to test. Basically the test would consist of pouring water into the planter, and then seeing whether the column gets damp.

Below the jump, this post documents the experiment that I carried out.…

Cylindrical white room air purifiers (Condition Report)

THE ST. JOSEPH CENTER recently donated several air purifiers to Mishkon. 

Below the jump, this post documents the main features of these units. It also points to the online user manual and other resources.…

Existing kitchen vent system (Condition Report)

WHAT IS ABOVE the exhaust grilles in the ceiling of our kitchen? The answer is important, as we move toward the necessary improvements to meet the current mechanical code for exhausting air from the room.

Below the jump, this post documents the existing exhaust system, with 7 photos (some with circles and arrows) and a diagram.…

Summer sanctuary roof projects: structural repair & reroofing (Activity Report)

DURING THIS SUMMER, it will be time to do major work on the roof of our historic sanctuary. Mishkon has saved up the funds to pay for this two-part project, and we have been preparing to carry it out.

A silicone “cool roof” recovering is applied in Torrance.

Below the jump, this post describes what our preparation has accomplished: my understanding of the situation and of the options, and what our current plans are.…

Looking into possible funding from a Perenchio Foundation grant (Activity Report)

A PASADENA-BASED FOUNDATION is requesting grant applications from organizations like Mishkon. They want to fund capital improvements that will support the arts locally. 

In their own words, “We welcome applications from non-arts organizations based in L.A. County that maintain robust, year-round arts programming and seek to strengthen their arts-related infrastructure.” 

Below the jump, this post sums up my investigation into the grant program and its requirements. It then discusses how Mishkon could meet those requirements. To be honest, I had not previously thought of Mishkon in terms of its engagement with the arts, so this exercise has been eye-opening for me. 

(N.B.: We still need someone to champion our grant application. Might that be you?)

Stairlift for accessibility to sanctuary from Main Street: Further thoughts (Draft Proposal)

SINCE FEBRUARY, when I proposed that we install a stairlift in our historic sanctuary building’s front stairwell (a move that shortly thereafter was independently suggested to me by Ed Geil), I have spoken with several more vendors of stairlifts. In the process, I have learned a few things.

Below the jump, I share the two biggest lessons learned, and their implications.…

Air purifier installed in school building (Activity Report)

I AM PLEASED to report that the air purification device described HERE was installed today. 

This means that:

• We are significantly reducing the airborne transmission of disease inside our school building — as long as the HVAC blower is on, and the hallway doors are kept ajar, so that the air can keep circulating throughout the building.
• To reiterate, the hallway doors need to be propped open by about an inch whenever possible, in order for this device to work its magic.
• The school building can now revert to using a standard MERV-8 air filter rather than a hospital-grade MERV-13 filter (which is not only more expensive but also shortens the life of the blower motor).

Below the jump, I give links to evidence that the ions produced by this device are indeed effective at neutralizing airborne pathogens directly, quite apart from whether the resulting agglomeration is ever trapped by the system’s air filter.…